Braves trade Lopez for minor-league lefty
The Braves traded journeyman pitcher Rodrigo Lopez to the Chicago Cubs for minor league left-hander Ryan Buchter.
Lopez, 35, was 6-1 with a 2.59 ERA in nine starts for Triple-A Gwinnett. His contract would’ve permitted him to sign as a free agent with any team offering a 25-man roster spot if he weren’t on the Braves’ major league roster by June 15.
Buchter, 24, had a 3.38 ERA and .197 opponents’ average in 16 relief appearances in Class A and Double A, with 30 strikeouts in 21-1-3 innings. He allowed 13 hits, eight earned runs and 11 walks in 11 innings for Double-A Tennessee.
A 33rd-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals in 2005, Buchter is 20-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 149 minor league games (two starts), none above Double A. He has 251 strikeouts with 141 walks in 212 innings.
Buchter has a 92-94 mph fastball, but needs work on his secondary pitch.
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181 comments Add your comment
Chris from the Rock
May 26th, 2011
7:23 pm
Not thatv I was expecting the moon for Lopez, but I figured Wren could land a slightly better prospect with so many teams desperate for hurlers.
PTCdude
May 26th, 2011
7:23 pm
We traded this guy for a decent 4th or 5th starter?
JD
May 26th, 2011
7:25 pm
The way Lopez was throwing at AA, I wouldve thought he’d get more of a shot during the coming week or two, even if it was just to showcase him at AAA.
chris
May 26th, 2011
7:31 pm
lopez, who was pitching extremely well in AAA, you would think would get a better return out of him, especially how starting pitching is these days…
Austin
May 26th, 2011
7:32 pm
JD Lopez was in AAA, it’s Kawakami who is in AA, also Lopez has a clause in which he could opt out of his contract June 15 if he wasn’t with the major league club, the fact that Wren got anything for him is pretty good, especially since he was just another minor league signing people didn’t care much of for the time.
extremus
May 26th, 2011
7:32 pm
While the trade appears to be fairly even from a statistics perspective, the Braves probably should have gone after a hitter, in my opinion.
coors
May 26th, 2011
7:36 pm
that’s all we could get for a 5th starter that threw 200+ innings last year???????????????
Ryan
May 26th, 2011
7:38 pm
In 2 weeks we would have gotten nothing. Good trade. We added to our already embarrasingly good minor league pitching.
Frank got it Wrong
May 26th, 2011
7:39 pm
Frank pulled another Uggla.
Austin
May 26th, 2011
7:43 pm
Exactly Steve, look up through history what other teams got for a 35 year old Journey man pitcher in the MiLB who had a clause in his contract and wasnt in the teams plans and we should just be happy we got more than some used jocks and broken bats.
Supa Steve
May 26th, 2011
7:44 pm
Best of luck to RoLo…hope he can get his major league career back on track in Chicago. It was obvious he wasn’t in our plans due to pitching depth and contractual/waiver stipulations so at least we got something at all for him.
jp
May 26th, 2011
7:49 pm
they need a bench player
worm
May 26th, 2011
7:54 pm
As an ex-pitcher-Eric Hinske would be dusting himself off several times for that homerun admiring yesterday..Geesh man, You ain’t the second coming of the Babe…Perhaps someone will take McCann out as a retaliation..Bobby Cox wouldn’t allow this..
Austin
May 26th, 2011
7:56 pm
They weren’t going to get a quality MLB bench player for Lopez, besides for now I think Hinske/Mather/Conrad/Ross works.. Hernandez and Ramirez are really interchangeable
Choppinmama
May 26th, 2011
8:14 pm
worm – well, it was a thing of beauty, worth admiration.
Ronald Millsaps
May 26th, 2011
8:18 pm
Dan Uggla’s woes are amazing, especially since he was one of the top three or four NL players last year. Leave it to Atlanta not to make an adjustment with him.
When he was in Florida, he was in a much-better offense than he has here. Instead of moving him up in the order, he has remained in the middle of it essentially all season, so instead of giving him the protection he’s familiar with, he has been in a bad spot. We need to bat him third in the order and give him some more protection.
The lack of adjustments is downright stifling, and I don’t think he’s complacent from the big contract; he doesn’t strike me as being like that. I think also he opened the season with a large degree of arrogance that, like with anyone else, is a recipe for disaster.
Ronald Millsaps
May 26th, 2011
8:28 pm
That double play in the ninth yesterday was extremely impressive. Conrad’s homer was great, but I hope it didn’t get “play of the game” status, as he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to hit it if not for said double play……………….reminiscent of the “Aaron Boone game” from 2003. The Yankees trail the Red Sox, 5-0, in Game 7. Boone hits the extra-inning homer to win the game————–but the game unquestionably should be deemed, if anything, the “Jason Giambi game” since he got the ball rolling with the two solo homers. Boone’s homer, honestly, was an afterthought in comparison.
I despise ignorance.
Ronald Millsaps
May 26th, 2011
8:30 pm
If Uggla doesn’t start hitting, I say we put Prado back at second and platoon Uggla and Hinske in left. I’m blamed serious. The status quo isn’t working, and neither are the adjustment-makers.
Ronald Millsaps
May 26th, 2011
8:32 pm
………..not to mention the fact that Hinske IS hitting.
It bears repeating: Running Jeff Francoeur out of town (let’s be blunt; that’s just what they did) was a HUGE mistake, one of the worst front-office moves this team has made, which is saying something, similar to how they ran David Justice out of town.
Ronald Millsaps
May 26th, 2011
8:34 pm
“worm”— You can admire a homer without taunting the pitcher, and there’s nothing wrong with admiring one. There’s a lot wrong with saying “geesh”, which is a slur against Jesus, though.
Ronald Millsaps
May 26th, 2011
8:35 pm
That ball was CRUSHED, by the way.
Ronald Millsaps
May 26th, 2011
8:48 pm
If you want to speak of arrogance, refer to these fans who act like players are supposed to drop everything and come sign for them and/or their punk kids, and I say “punk kids” because the vast majority are.
Derek Lowe’s DUI (as with all others) is arrogant, too, but we hear more complaints of home-run admiration than we do of DUIs. Lowe drove when he was unfit to drive, and someone could’ve been killed. THAT, my friend, is arrogant.
Dawg Fan in Grayson
May 26th, 2011
8:50 pm
So with his team struggling to hit and score all year Wren trades for a 24 year old AA pitcher???? Does Wren even watch the Braves play or does spend all his time watchin his sons play at GT? Didn’t expect to get a prime time player for Lopez, but I thought he should have reached for a bench player who could hit. Wren is hopeless.
Bob the Blogger
May 26th, 2011
8:56 pm
I agree with other posters that the Braves got too little for Lopez. He threw 200 innings last year and was very effective in AAA this year, yet all we got was a pitcher with 6 years in the minor leagues who still can’t throw strikes (6 walks per nine innings for his career). I would have preferred the Braves to seek out a minor league speedster.
Austin
May 26th, 2011
8:56 pm
Dawg Fan if you think that Lopez could have legitimately got us a bench player who could actually make a difference then you are hopeless. If Lopez got called up he would make a pro rated Million bucks, and would have to pass through waivers to go back down. That being said he had to be on the roster by 6/15 he could opt out of the contract and signed with someone else. Other teams know this and they could have just waited him out. The Braves had no use for Lopez and everyone knew that, and like i said before “look up through history what other teams got for a 35 year old Journey man pitcher in the MiLB who had a clause in his contract and wasnt in the teams plans and we should just be happy we got more than some used jocks and broken bats.”
He was a MiLB signing that nobody even cared about, even hated at the time because they thought it was a waste. People just can’t be happy.
Austin
May 26th, 2011
9:01 pm
Bob we got a lot of those by the way, just none that are ready.
Schafer, Constanza, Ramirez, Ware, Jones, Harrilchak, Lipka, Simmons just to name a few
Austin
May 26th, 2011
9:04 pm
That being said I agree i would have much rather them go after a position player, I just don’t think whoever we got they really don’t have much of a chance of making an impact, but we should just be happy we got a fresh body instead of nothing
BRAVESFAN
May 26th, 2011
9:14 pm
I think we all wish we could unload Wren just as easy!
Dawg Fan in Grayson
May 26th, 2011
9:14 pm
Austin, my point is why take a chance on a pitcher and not a position player especially when this franchise struggles to hit?
Mark (another one)
May 26th, 2011
9:17 pm
Lopez was all but gone. The Braves got a solid arm with potential. That sounds like a good trade. I would prefer a major league bat but that wasn’t likely.
Austin
May 26th, 2011
9:18 pm
Dawg I dont know, maybe because we have a lack of LHP, only noticeable ones I can think of are Oberholtzer and Perez. I would have rather them go after a position player as well, but what I am saying is we should be happy we were lucky enough to get anything. Teams could have waited a couple weeks and we would have gotten nothing.
Austin
May 26th, 2011
9:19 pm
Also, over 3 MiLB seasons this kid has a k/9 of around 11. Yes he has high walk rates, but so did Kimbrel.
ray
May 26th, 2011
9:27 pm
Buchter was great at A ball. as soon as he was promoted by Cubs to AA, he had problems. for a 24 yr old, he shouldn’t be back in A ball (where braves assigned him)
I guess Wren figured better than giving him away like Resop under same circumstances. so he got nothing anyway.
Wren had until 6/15 so I guess he felt this deal was “too good to pass up “. aside from Jurgens, Wren hasn’t traded for 1 good young prospect.but the Braves are great at giving away good ones.
Sam The Swami
May 26th, 2011
9:42 pm
You guys are amazing! Don’t you think Wren took the BEST DEAL AVAILABLE? No one is giving away a top prospect for a 35 year old pitcher. Get real.
You can never have too many good arms and this Buchter sounds like a potential MLB middle reliever in the making.
Plate Appearance
May 26th, 2011
9:49 pm
Looks like another maximum value trade for Frank!
shmoe
May 26th, 2011
10:04 pm
ronald millsaps
don’t say francouer and dave justice in the same sentence ever!!!
Claudell
May 26th, 2011
10:13 pm
Why does Frank keep agreeing to these contracts that say “put me on the team by a certain date or I can walk?” We should let our players either play themselves onto our team, or play themselves into an attractive trade offer from another team.
Bob the Blogger
May 26th, 2011
10:18 pm
I guess all we can hope for is that the Braves figure out some way to teach Buchter a second pitch and better control.
Claudell
May 26th, 2011
10:21 pm
Barry is guilty. Pete…guilty. Dykstra…guilty. Jose…guilty Mark….guilty. Sammy…guilty.
Derrick Lowe…got himself a good lawyer, a cop who couldn’t tell the diff between two really expensive cars, a prosecutor who just didn’t want the hassle, and a hometown media that is relatively player friendly. But it’ll be ok if he goes 5-0 in Sept.
Braves Fan
May 26th, 2011
10:26 pm
Wren is an IDIOT!
We could of easily gotten Coco Crisp or Michael Bourn for Rodrigo Lopez and Jordan Schafer. Another brilliant move from Wren.
reckingball
May 26th, 2011
10:38 pm
Ronald M. @8:48……Derek Lowe was DUI, how do you know?
Lobosolo
May 26th, 2011
10:39 pm
You armchair cryboys are a HOOT!!!! Y’all talk like you have an actual clue about how to run a franchise!!! I’ll bet 99% of you had never HEARD of either of these guys! Yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk….
mathman
May 26th, 2011
10:44 pm
Let’s not be so quick to trade Schafer. He is far better than McLouse, both offensively and defensively. Prado is now in the #2 hole where he belongs and we now have a leadoff man who can run, bunt, and take some walks. He was a big part of any offense we had in the two wins over Pittsburgh.
Quicherbichin
May 26th, 2011
10:53 pm
Braves Fan- Really? did you hear the BoSox offer that? and especially with Nate AND Jason (Heyward, Not Schafer) both injured right now, THIS is the deal you’d make? hmmm… Thank God you were not in the administration of any High School that I attended… as Bugs Bunny would say…. what a maroon!!!
rainman34
May 26th, 2011
11:08 pm
im very happy with the trade another good young arm. Also very important he is left handed. For a 35 year old that had a 5 era last year. The uggla deal was a great one. Wren cant help he is off to a terrible start.
Monger
May 26th, 2011
11:09 pm
Ray you truly are amazingly dumb, Wren has made several GREAT, and by great I mean magician, smooth talking amazingly GREAT for the Braves in the past several years…. And this is just off the top of my head….
We got Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez for an aging Edgar Renteria- Look at Reneteria’s declining games and stats the last few years and tell me that wasnt the STEAL of a lifetime.
We got Aroyds Vizcaino and Mike Dunn, along with Melky for Javier Vazquez, Once again look at Vazquez’s decline and its a STEAL by Wren. Vizcaino was the Yankees #1 prospect and a dominating young pitcher who we can pair with Delgado, Teheran, Hanson, JJ, Medlen, Beachy and Minor for years to come in a GREAT rotation for the next decade…Mike Dunn was and is still an awesome pitcher as well.
We got Steven Marek and Casey Kotchman from Anaheim, cant remember who we gave them, I think just prospects, but Marek is already on his way to teaming up with Venters, Gearin, and Kimbrel to form our bullpen of lights out relievers.
These are 3 just off the top of my head, and Im sure if I researched I could find several other gem moves by GM Frank Wren in bringing in good young talent. Also, he makes good trades for veterans in my opinion, I think the Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernandez for Nate McLouth was a good trade, Nate, while he had a down year last year, has rebounded some this year, and nobody can deny the spark he gave us after the allstar break the year we got him, he had like 10 Hrs and 10-15 doubles the 2nd half of that year. If we see that Nate in the 2nd half this year we will be pretty tough to beat, and Gorkys has faded away and Morton, while so far decent this year, had a 2-12 record with a 7+ ERA so those are just a few examples
Jay Dubu
May 26th, 2011
11:12 pm
DOB,
Where in the Braves system will he be assigned, AA or AAA?
AdirondackDave
May 26th, 2011
11:13 pm
Looks like an inconsequential return for Lopez but I didn’t expect much more. I hoped for more.. but didn’t expect it.
Quicherbichin
May 26th, 2011
11:14 pm
some of you peple are unreal.. You act like we should have gotten Josh Beckett and Jon Lester for Rodrigo Lopez. or… Failig that…. We might have been able to get A-Rod And Mark Teixeira from the Yankees… You peopke are just unreal!!!
Falcorave
May 26th, 2011
11:31 pm
in all honesty, the braves (fredi) needs to make a simple move in the batting order to help out uggla. with shaefer (an actual leadoff hitter) hitting first, you bat uggla second to give him more fastballs to get his confidence up. Remember marcus giles? was an allstar because he got fastballs because of rafael furcal, same deal here.
then when heyward and mclouth come back, he’ll be in a nice little groove, and might have the confidence to hit a few breaking pitches
Blog comments are retarded
May 26th, 2011
11:44 pm
Fact check time: Ronald, Derek Lowe’s DUI was dismissed due to a lack of evidence. Not saying he did nothing wrong, just that there was no DUI conviction or reckless driving. Don’t let facts get in the way of a good rant though…carry on.
Kevin
May 27th, 2011
12:00 am
Monger,
Marek is a long ways from joining our stud relievers. He just had tommy john surgery and is out until at least next June. I don’t see him in the majors until September 2012 at the earliest and most likely April 2013.
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2011
12:01 am
Where in the Braves system will he be assigned, AA or AAA? — Jay Dubu
Jay Dubu: Neither. He’s going to Luis Salazar’s high-A Lynchburg club to start out.
Coach B
May 27th, 2011
12:05 am
This might be a pretty good trade. Not a highly developed, dominate prospects but we also are not giving up a lot. Despite that, he could have strong bullpen potential. A lefty who throws in the mid-90’s is kinda rare. He is striking out 1.4 batters per inning. He appears to just need some refining of his control before he would be a good left handed relief pitcher. If he is striking out that many people, with a opp batting average under .200, he most likely struggles to locate one or more of his pitches while having good movement. Control is more likely to develop with age than significant movement. Given the low era, he might be figuring out his control.
Brandon
May 27th, 2011
12:18 am
I looked at buchter’s minor league stats and can’t help but notice the resemblance in his stats and kimbrels. this actually may turn out to be an incredible trade down the line
wjones
May 27th, 2011
12:19 am
“Braves Fan
May 26th, 2011
10:26 pm
Wren is an IDIOT!
We could of easily gotten Coco Crisp or Michael Bourn for Rodrigo Lopez and Jordan Schafer. Another brilliant move from Wren.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Your arrogance is only exceeeded by your stupidity.
wjones
May 27th, 2011
12:25 am
Had the blog been around in 1987, I’m sure there would be massive ranting that we traded Doyle Alexander for a AA pitcher with an ERA over 5. Especially once he went undefeated in Detroit. Comments along the lines of “What in the ……..is Bobby Cox doing? He has no business being a GM!”
shmoe
May 27th, 2011
12:29 am
Should the Braves target Jose Reyes somehow?
—–i’m salivating thinking of Reyes batting leadoff, stealing bases in front of Martin
David Wright?
Hunter Pence?
Lamar
May 27th, 2011
12:32 am
that last comment was hysterical
shmoe
May 27th, 2011
12:35 am
from MLB Trade rumors:
An American League scout says if the Mets hear an offer they like for Jose Reyes, they’ll take it: “They can’t afford not to and let him leave as a free agent and not get value for him.”
what would it take? obviously gonzo would need to go.
shmoe
May 27th, 2011
12:36 am
MLB trade rumors:
The Braves are “actively stepping up” their search for hitting. They’ve been looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder and would also like a utility infielder who can handle shortstop. They signed longtime shortstop Julio Lugo yesterday.
Right handed outfielder like Pence?
oldmaninatlanta
May 27th, 2011
12:58 am
Why is is that every time they do make a trade that its always for pitching?As sorry as our position players are in the minors,I dont understand why they dont do something to get a bat or 2.Guys,check out the lack of power..lack of batting average on all the minor leaguers.
acbwcmm
May 27th, 2011
1:09 am
Innocent people do not refuse a breathalyzer. It’s really that simple.
Braves trade Lopez for minor-league lefty | Raw Sports - Atlanta Braves
May 27th, 2011
1:24 am
[...] Atlanta Braves [...]
Rumblekat
May 27th, 2011
1:37 am
All you people, who are fussing about trading for pitching, do you have any idea where the Braves would be right now if it weren’t for all the pitching they DO HAVE? And, some of you think that Frank Wren doesn’t watch the ballgames!
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
1:56 am
acbwhatever@ 1:09……..”Innocent people do not refuse a breathalyzer”. And you know this as a fact, how?
Innocent people have been taken into police custody, because of the breathalyzers giving false readings, I know this as a fact.
TheAntiMe
May 27th, 2011
2:05 am
The Braves got about what I would have expected, at best, for Rodrigo Lopez. You have to take into consideration that the Braves weren’t dealing from a position of strength. Had they not made a move in less than three weeks then they stood a chance of getting nothing at all for him and all of the other GMs are aware of this.
It would not make sense to add him to the 25-man roster, especially with how set the Braves are with pitching, both on the 25-man roster as well as on the farm. This sounds like as good a deal as could reasonably be expected.
Ryan
May 27th, 2011
2:09 am
Enter your comments here
Ed
May 27th, 2011
2:25 am
This much chatter on a trade of a 35 year old minor leaguer? Must be the same morons who listen to John Kincade on the radio. Please people, get a life.
acbwcmm
May 27th, 2011
3:29 am
Enter your comments here
TheAntiMe
May 27th, 2011
3:41 am
It just may be possible that Ryan Butcher could turn out to be another Stephen Marek type pitcher. Marek was basically a throw in to the Mark Teixeira trade with the Angels and it now appears that Marek should, in the not-so-distant future, see time as a quality MLB middle reliever.
It would not be too much of a stretch, I believe, that Butcher could be the same type of pitcher as Marek. Not at all a bad acquisition for Rodrigo Lopez, age 35, who started 33 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season and had a 7-16 record with a 5.00 ERA.
acbwcmm
May 27th, 2011
3:58 am
reckingball @ 1:56am: “And you know this as a fact, how? Innocent people have been taken into police custody, because of the breathalyzers giving false readings, I know this as a fact.”
Firstly, my statement was: “Innocent people do not refuse a breathalyzer. It’s really that simple.” I did not say “fact is” or anything else like that. So, to make you happy, I will revise my statement:
Innocent people do not refuse a breathalyzer, in my opinion. It’s really that simple.
If I were pulled over and an officer wanted to give me a breathalyzer test, I would not refuse. That is a fact. Why? Because I never drink and drive. That is a fact. Why? Because it is against the law and is responsible for the deaths of 2000+ Georgians in the past 5 years. Fact.
Also, if a person is taken into police custody due to a faulty reading (which is extremely rare in the 1st place), they have the right to request a blood test. They automatically take two blood samples, so that it can be tested again if necessary.
really
May 27th, 2011
4:37 am
The braves get anything for rodrigo lopez and people complain. The braves have the best starter depth un the majors by all means trade a guy who will never pitch for a lwfty with good numbers. You are crazy if you think he was worth more than that
acbwcmm
May 27th, 2011
4:58 am
I had honestly forgotten that Lopez even existed! It’s great we got something for him.
richbrave
May 27th, 2011
5:59 am
RODRIGO was very effective pitching inside to left-handed hitters and away to right-handers. But observing his work on the right side of the plate early on this season, evidently the BRAVES didn’t think he could develop effective pitches in that location before he ran out of time as a ML’er. Good job WREN.
JMF
May 27th, 2011
7:11 am
Let’s give credit where credit is due. Wren brought Lopez on for insurance. If rookies Beachy or Minor were not ready the Braves had a veteran backup. As it turned out the Braves did not need him. He served his purpose, INSURANCE. So the Braves added a potential left handed middle arm. Good move.
longtimefan
May 27th, 2011
7:22 am
Good response Monger. I believe Wren has done an excellent an excellent job as GM. Some people simply like to complain:they tend to find the negative in every situation. Call me a homer, but I like to see the positive in the Braves team and the future. There is not a baseball/sports team out there that can’t be picked apart if you try to focus on every negative.
STRETCH
May 27th, 2011
7:32 am
ARE THE MARLINS EVER GOING TO LOSE AGAIN???
sam is ugla
May 27th, 2011
7:41 am
DOB any word on that sam miller cat in single a ball?
alex
May 27th, 2011
7:44 am
Lowe got off,;how you say we’ll never know but money talks and garbage walks…Perfect opportunity to package him with another player and ship him and his sports car and contract and a case of PBR and get a very good every day player.
This my friends is an example of the USA having more lawyers than the rest of the world COMBINED
I forgot, give him a case of his favorite chewing tobacco, and hustle his fat a## out of town
TheAntiMe
May 27th, 2011
8:07 am
Oops! Sorry, Mr. Ryan Buchter. I never meant to Butcher your last name. My apologies.
bill
May 27th, 2011
8:08 am
I thought you were charged and had to forfeit your license if you refused a breath test. Is Lowe still on the hook for racing?
IHEARTCARROLL
May 27th, 2011
8:45 am
Didn’t we get Lopez just in case neither Beachy no Minor worked out this spring? And Lopez agreed to 6/15 because he didn’t want to sit forever in the minors. I don’t understand why everyone isn’t happy. Beachy looked good. Minor looks good. Lopez has a shot at extending his career. If FW takes this much flack over a little move like this, I would not have his job for a trillion dollars and an autographed picture of Carroll Rogers.
historyman
May 27th, 2011
8:46 am
Good move to get something — anything — for a throwaway pitcher signed in case of emergency.
IHEARTCARROLL
May 27th, 2011
8:47 am
Well, ok. I would take FWs job for a picture of Carroll Rogers. But not for just a trillion bucks.
alex
May 27th, 2011
8:48 am
monger and longtimefan, you guys are hilarious:FW a good GM, sarcasm dripps off my screen,Goodness, even for the uninformed after the uggla,glaus,lee, Mclouth debacle a fool could see your sarcasm. I’ll be there tonight I hope you guys hold up a banner that Says “we love FW’, that will get the crowd going. Thanks, we can all use some humor on a gloomy morning.
All together now: FIRE FW
JT Grace
May 27th, 2011
9:04 am
Enter your comments here
JT Grace
May 27th, 2011
9:10 am
Monger, the Braves traded some guy named Mark Teixeira for Marek and Kotchman. When the Angels lost Teixeira to free agency they used their 1st round pick to draft Mike Trout, the current #1 prospect in the minor leagues. Overall, Wren has done a fantastic job, but the Teixeira/Angels trade was not one of his better moments.
alex
May 27th, 2011
9:16 am
Come on guys, you must be related to FW, seriously, we’ve got mather in right , a 3rd baseman pushing 40,uggla,a rookie at first,man WE are stretched to the limit. We win 2 games against the PIRATES with MASSIVE run production…
All together now
FIRE FW
i THINK IT’S SWEET THAT fRANK’S FAMILY IS SO SUPPORTIVE (AND DELUSIONAL)
littlemikeofmikeandmikeisastininjoke
May 27th, 2011
9:18 am
I think we should have held out for r Lopez for Josh Hamilton or maybe Albert Pujols! Come on people get a life, it’s a miracle we got anything, do the math June 15 he could have walked. Too many armchair commentators, managers, coaches and GM’s that don’t know nothing about nothing. I gottta quit reading this stuff.
phil
May 27th, 2011
9:19 am
Alex – so angry, so harsh…but not totally out in left field either!
Hey Ronald Millsaps….if you despise ignorance so much, then please, please cease and desist from posting on here to spare us from yours….
Fire FW…
JT Grace
May 27th, 2011
9:24 am
Alex, what exactly should FW have done differently? Unlike teams like the Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees he has a limited budget.
Things that Wren has accomplished:
1. Traded Renteria for Jair Jurrjens
2. Pick up a kid named Eric O’Flaherty off of waivers from the Mariners
3. Traded Javy Vazquez for one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and a good LHP
4. Traded a utility player and a relief pitcher for a 2B averaging 30 Home Runs a year
5. Traded Scott Diamond for Randy Bullock (a big upgrade in minor league relievers)
6. Signed Rodrigo Lopez and was able to get a useful minor leaguer in trade for him
I didn’t like the Teixeira/Angels trade or the Escobar/Gonzalez trade but otherwise he has been a solid GM of a team with an 85M budget.
The “pushing 40″ 3B happens to be a 1st ballot HOF who is one of the more productive 3B in the NL this year. Who should replace him?
The Braves have Mather in RF because one of the top young players in baseball is injured. Who do you think should be playing there?
phil
May 27th, 2011
9:25 am
littlemikeofmikeofwhatever…
Relax and have fun with this drivel….we’re all idiots here.
As for the trade, it’s a meaningless move designed to replace one old, basically useless piece on the way out with a much younger, basically useless piece. At least the younger piece might blossom into something, and if he doesn’t, who cares…no upside to the old guy.
Brava
May 27th, 2011
9:25 am
I don’t get why Wren would trade for another pitcher when the Braves have so much pitching depth. Seems to me he would have done better to trade for a good utility player for the bench.
phil
May 27th, 2011
9:30 am
JT Grace – Excellent post….great point about JJ…I had forgotten that trade.
The Dan Struggla trade was a good one. It’s not FW’s fault that Struggla can’t figure out anymore how to hit a baseball, unless it’s the genius of one of his coaches that’s fouled the guy up so badly….then I suppose we could get royally pissed…
I personally like the Escobar/Gonzo trade if for no other reason because it got an obvious malcontent off of the team…Escobar was lazy and his poor attitude showed clearly on his smug little face….good riddance, even if Gonzo can’t lay off of a high fastball to save his life, causing me to want to set fire to my clothing…
phil
May 27th, 2011
9:32 am
Brava – The guy he traded was about to be contractually gone from the team anyway. Wren got what he could for the guy. He couldn’t acquire a good utility player in exchange for this cat because he had no real value….in other words, he stinks.
E-6
May 27th, 2011
9:38 am
Phil @ 9:32 well said. When you have three or four pitchers at the same level who are as good or better than the guy who we were pretty much forced to trade, any return is okay. Add to that most of the other pitchers are ten years Lopez’ junior.
BlogCommentersaretreasures
May 27th, 2011
9:46 am
how with a straight face can you say frank wren is a terrible GM? Rodrigo was a 35 year old pitcher, with a career 4.85 ERA, coming off of a 5.00 ERA and 7-16 season…and you were expecting what? Josh Johnson in return? Also, if you are going to criticize any players on the team, take the time and look up how to spell their name….as if the constant negativity didn’t do it, your lack of knowledge makes you look like a dumb “fan”. Has Joe Mather not produced for you this year(.901 ops)? Has George Sherrill not been a great arm out of the pen? Dan Uggla will come around.
Players added under Frank Wren:
Eric O’Flaherty(waivers)
Alex Gonzalez(with Tyler Pastronicky, Tim Collins)-for Yunel and Jo-Jo Reyes(28 straight winless)
Eric Hinske(Free Agent)
Jair JURRJENS – Frank stole him from Detroit with Gorkys for Edgar
Craig Kimbrel – Added Via Draft
Brandon Beachy- Undrafted Free Agent.
Mike Minor – Via Draft
yeah he has done a piss poor job.
Ralph
May 27th, 2011
9:58 am
Beachey comes back, Minor and Teheran both ready to step in and Medilin should be ready before September makes Lowe and or Hudson ready for trade before the deadline. Even if they only get a good utility infielder the money saved from their contract would enable Wren to get an outstanding RENTAL outfielder for the rest of the season.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
9:58 am
phill, what is wrong with you this morning? You are making too much sense.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
9:59 am
alex, do you hear what your leader is saying? You might need to attack him.
alex
May 27th, 2011
10:04 am
agree quit reading this stuff, math,math I don’t need no math. Jt ,first 2 points are excellent , the rest, well minor leaguers may pan out. as for chipper, he is hof, so what, so was joe dimmagio,and he’s dead!!Now where is my MR. Coffee? The team has so many holes it’s moving to switzerland(swiss cheese, get it). I don’t think Wrenn has done well with construction of the team in the event of injuries#*-chipper) or potential failings(ff and jh)
But who knows,AS for uggla : who knew and when did they know it. SOMEBODY MISSED THE BOAT AND fw is in charge!!!!
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
10:04 am
Some of the people on this rag have wondered why Wren got a pitcher, instead of a position player.
I have heard a lot of people(who actually know what they are talking about, concerning baseball) say, you can never have enough good pitching.
alex
May 27th, 2011
10:15 am
reckingball, attacks for those that are not in agreement with me, no seriously, I have No leader_can’t get along with anyone long enough to lead them> Good humor today but 4 good drafts out of hundreds and 2 good trades out of undreds is NOT convincing. To all of FRANK’s syncophants and family,he seems to be a nice guy,goofy commercial and all..just think he’s incompetent and in over his head
sidbreamslide
May 27th, 2011
10:16 am
This makes you wonder a little about the Braves.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/712814-bobby-cox-hangover-how-the-braves-are-still-adjusting-to-fredi-gonzalez
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2011
10:19 am
reckingball: Come on, man. Don’t disrupt the flow of savvy comments with some logical observation like that. This thread was just getting fun.
Jack in Macon
May 27th, 2011
10:20 am
We a veteran major league pitcher that’s having a good year in triple A for this guy? Couldn’t we have gotten a major league quality utility player with a good bat that can play third base?
Dave, please explain what the Braves were thinking? You can give more feedback to questions/comments on this blog. That’s the purpose of blogging which you don’t seem to realize. Interaction!!
henry from TN
May 27th, 2011
10:22 am
you should trade linebrink or designate him for assignment because this guy is over-the-hill big time and bring back up chattanooga choo choo the sidewinder….
rammerjammer
May 27th, 2011
10:25 am
A lefty who throws in the low 90s is always a commodity, especially when it comes as inexpensively as Buchter. He may never see Atlanta, much less Gwinnett, but you just never know when a new grip or a new delivery can make the difference.
And the Braves have a history of some success in these things. I like the deal.
alex
May 27th, 2011
10:39 am
HE’S ALIVE,HE’S ALIVE;welcome DOB.rEckingball is savy and suave and debonnaire. He’s a good egg…
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2011
10:46 am
alex: He also understands how these matters work, unlike some others.
alex
May 27th, 2011
11:00 am
DOB, surely you were not refering to me, I am truly offended. You two think alike ,but do you truly comprehend? let the lemmings swim.. Let’s get your opinionDOB;NO bs please,evaluate the job of FW over the last few years…
ray
May 27th, 2011
11:19 am
Monger,
anyone who likes the Mc Louth deal is looking through rose colored glasses. it may only get worse if Locke pitches in the majors.
Marek wasn’t even called up before he had TJ surgery. Kotchman has been on 3 teams already since we let him go.
Vizcaino also has arm problems in case you didn’t know.
what did Melky do for us ?
do you think a guy drafted from a CC in 2005 should still be in A ball 6 yrs later at age 24 1/2 ?
believe what you want if it makes you feel better.
to bring up the Teixeira deal to bolster your argument is comical.
you can insult me, but you are the misguided one.
alex
May 27th, 2011
11:22 am
Well,we’re waiting….(judge Smails,caddyshack,oh never mind)
Rodrigo Lopez
May 27th, 2011
11:23 am
I, Rodrigo Lopez, will NOT suffer this indignity any longer. Pitching in Minor League ball is simply too pedestrian for a player of my caliber so Rodrigo Lopez made your Frank Wren bless the Cubs of Chicago with my presence. The indomitable will and might of I, Rodrigo Lopez, overcomes anything after all. I can only imagine what the Cubs had to relinquish in order to add the mighty Rodrigo Lopez to their lineup…there may not be enough Cubs left to field a team. Thus, I…Rodrigo Lopez have decided to grace the positions of shortstop, second, catcher, of course pitcher for the Cubs! You are welcome Chicago!
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
11:31 am
How many MLB GMs do you think that there are, that would not like to have the pitching talent, that the Braves have in their organization?
Who brought most of these pitchers to the Braves organization?
alex
May 27th, 2011
11:38 am
One more time reckingball( you seem to revel in being correct on this point) the braves have very good pitching and yes FW should be applauded, GOT IT,I have said that this is the 1 PART of the team that is very good (are you ok now, you may continue the self adulation, Frank and the rest of the syncophants are proud of you) now for the other 8 positions………… whew,such a good egg!
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
11:42 am
Wow alex, why all of the hate and venom?
Good pitching beats good hitting most of the time.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
11:42 am
What about the other 8 positions,?
I think that Wren has put together a pretty good team.
Just need some hits, to start coming off of some bats.
Definitely could have used some more speed.
habberdash
May 27th, 2011
11:56 am
Lowe’s DUI charges were dropped. Obviously the authorities decided he wasn’t intoxicated and did the right thing. Bravo for Derek being such a responsible citizen.
alex
May 27th, 2011
11:57 am
hate and venom,SO sensitive( iHATE being called a HATER it’s so HATEFUL),how many all stars do we have in the field,maybe prado and possibly MCcann (posey is out), pretty good is not GOOD enough.(kinda like kissing your sister, no not my sister, your sister). Seems like we’re at an impass , let’s see how it plays out AND I HOPE YOU ARE RIGHT! because YOU are a good egg,now run along……
pcb mike
May 27th, 2011
11:59 am
We just traded a 35 year old minor leaguer and received a 24 year old hard throwing lefty. Fine with me, keep up the good work Frank Wren. To all the armchair GM’s out there, get real.
habberdash
May 27th, 2011
12:03 pm
acbwcmm
May 27th, 2011
1:09 am
Innocent people do not refuse a breathalyzer. It’s really that simple.
——————————————————-
They do when they’re opposed to the expansion of the police state
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
12:18 pm
If you are living in GA, you are pretty close to living in a police state.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
12:20 pm
alex, I accept your surrender.
Think I’ll hang around a little bit longer, though.
Chimp Carey
May 27th, 2011
12:25 pm
Good move- this guy has potential from what I’ve read.
Wren knows what he is doing, despite what some of the keyboard jockeys on here say…
Go Bravos!
alex
May 27th, 2011
12:26 pm
DL only did what every “young,wealthy jock” would do when he’s pulled over and charged with dui,he calls a former police officer, now dui lawyer, spreads some cash, finds the loophole and avoids the “police state” Does that deserve a “bravo” ( or mabye an “opera applause”) mabye if your idea of a good time is holding out in an underground bunker with2 tons of food and water and plenty of “ammo” for those who didn’t prepare, waiting for those damn ruskies trying to take your freedom!!! YEA!
alex
May 27th, 2011
12:26 pm
no speed up
Zing
May 27th, 2011
12:29 pm
For the record– people keep complaining about the Teixera trade for legitimate reasons, but that was not Frank Wren’s move. That was John Schuerholtz’s last trade as I recall. So, you can’t lay that on FW.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
12:29 pm
I suppose some people will be satisfied only when Wren fields, an ALL, all-star team.
Perhaps if Wren could see into the future he could live up to the standards of some of the disgruntled fans.
alex
May 27th, 2011
12:38 pm
Reckingball,Now I get the picture;FW is a good GM in the police state of georgia,uh huh, O.K.,thank goodness for anonimity,back to my bunker, I’ve got to reload………..
Let’s all enjoy the fireworks tonight and hope that some are ignited by our bats
tt
May 27th, 2011
12:41 pm
LIKE THE FALCONS NEED DEFENSE BRAVES NEEDS SOME HITTERS! PERIOD!
Brava
May 27th, 2011
12:47 pm
I’m glad those of you mocking everyone who doesn’t agree with you have such high opinions of yourselves. I realize that belittling others is a means of affirmation for some, but I can find better ways.
Maybe this pitcher will pan out, maybe not. It just seems to me that rather than trade for a commodity which is abundant, pitching, why not address the glaring weakness on the Braves team, the bench. Maybe Lopez and some cash could have gotten the Braves a solid utility player to replace Hernandez or Conrad, neither of which are producing much although Conrad has gotten a couple of game-winning hits. He’s still batting .167 for the season. Hernandez is worse at .154. Yes, they may come through once every few weeks, but most of the time, they are dead weight.
Mark (another one)
May 27th, 2011
12:50 pm
Wren’s is a bottom line position. He has to build and maintain a farm system for the future, but he might not see the future if the major league team isn’t successful. A couple of years ago the rotation was in a shambles and Wren was forced to go to the free agent market. He received a lot of criticism but the rotation held up well. KK didn’t pan out but we had some good pitchers.
Last year he tried everything to get the Braves into the playoffs and it worked, barely. Once we were there, we had two all star caliber players miss the post season. That’s 25% of the starting lineup and a larger portion of the offense. Injuries are part of the game but no team has the ability to replace two all stars from their bench and not slip.
Everyone complained that this year’s issues would be 3rd base, center field, and a middle infield backup. No one worred about Uggla’s hitting but there was concern for his defense. So, Chipper has played most of the season at third and is leading the league in doubles. He is leading all third basemen in RBIs and is second in OPS (.783). McLouth hasn’t been spectacular but he is hitting .238, a vast improvement over last year. Diory and Hernandez
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
12:53 pm
alex, “thank goodness for anonimity”, what exactly do you mean by that comment?
BillyBoB
May 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
Holy crap…what did you people expect to get from a THIRTY-FIVE year old minor leaguer? Seriously? Stop being dumb.
Lost Cause
May 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
Why does Coco Crisp’s name keep coming up in conversations. We have enough platoon players. Wren has done a GREAT job. Isn’t the team 28-23? Only one game off last year’s record after 51 games. If Uggla and Heyward just hit their weight they will win the division.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
@12:47………”Conrad is not producing much, although he has gotten a couple of game winning hit”???????????
I think that’s pretty darn good.
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2011
1:02 pm
DOB, surely you were not refering to me, I am truly offended. — alex
If you’re sure I’m not referring to you, then why are you “truly offended”?
Brava
May 27th, 2011
1:02 pm
I think it’s good too, reckingball, but how often is it going to happen? Considering his defensive liability, is he worth the salary he’s being paid to average a clutch hit once a month? Maybe you think so, I don’t.
Steve
May 27th, 2011
1:05 pm
We got soemthing for nothing with Lopez. We would have lost him on 6/15 because he would have opted out and one of those ‘hungry for pitching’ teams would have gobbled him up. They just had to wait. Maybe we could have gotten more, but we risked getting nothing.
As for the hate on the young man we traded for .. give him time. He obviously has a good arm and you can NEVER have too much pitching. Look at it this way, Hudson(2013), Lowe (thru 2012)and Jurrgens(FA after 2013) are not under contract for much longer. You have to start looking down the road more than a year or two with pitching. Yes, Delgado, Teheran, Minor, Beachey, and Medlen all look like sure things for that time period but the HARSH reality is about less than half the top pitching prospects ever pan out in the major leagues. Just look at all the Braves prospects that looked good in the minors and haven’t panned out in the majors and were traded away (Chen, James, Perez, Jo-Jo, Moss, Milwood, Davies, etc.). It is not always a sure thing. I would love to have depth in a couple of years so that if we are not in the playoff race we can trade these short contract guys to a contender for more developing talent if we need to. I say stockpile up as much YOUNG pitching as you can.
As for you Ronald Millsaps. You are wrong about Frenchy. Sorry. He gets hot occasionally, but when pitchers really need to get him out it’s as easy as Andruw Jones and Dale Murphy later in his career. Fastballs up, breaking pitches outside … go sit down. He will never achieve the greatness many fans in Atlanta still thinks he will. How many years did you expect us to wait around on him. For what he was slotted to make, he was not worth it. This year is another showcase. Started off hot, pitchers realized this and changed things up a little and now he can’t buy a hit. His May average is .247 and spiralling further downward.
fred
May 27th, 2011
1:07 pm
shmon and mathman,,two of a kind.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
1:10 pm
I think that it happened at least 7 times last year. I think that he does fairly good on D.
I don’t believe that he is as bad as he looked at the end of last season, when Cox more or less, threw him to the wolves. But that’s just my opinion.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
1:12 pm
Also, if the Braves make the playoffs by one W(like last season), then yes, I do think that he is worth his salary.
JeanE
May 27th, 2011
1:13 pm
Derek Lowe got off because money talks and the cops were inept. But I agree with whoever said innocent people do not refuse a Breathalyzer test. Take note Derek, you were lucky now pull your head out of your juveile a** and grow up. I lost all respect for you. I can’t stand Frank Wren but will admit we were going to probably lose Lopez to FA anyway, so at least he got something for him and he might turn out to be good. Go Braves.
alex
May 27th, 2011
1:14 pm
DOB it’s called sarcasm (SARCASM),(murrow is turning over in his grave:journalism?).
We’re still waiting…..
Anonimity:mine, this police state thing got me thinking, all this paranoia,as i said I’m going back to my bunker….
Ted M
May 27th, 2011
1:23 pm
Does Schafer have a chance to win the CF job permanently when McLouth comes back.
Brava
May 27th, 2011
1:28 pm
I don’t remember Conrad having 7 game winning hits last season. In fact, I’m almost certain he didn’t. I just can’t see using up a roster spot for a very mediocre hitter and a proven defensive liability. The Braves can do better than that, and should.
braveshoo
May 27th, 2011
1:33 pm
Derick Lowe refused the breathilizer because he knew he wasnt drunk and the officer had no probable cause to arrest him for DUI. He had already passed field sobriety tests, which you cant do if you have a BAC over .04, which is half of what you have to be to be DUI. The officer probably just wanted to make a name for himself by arresting D.Lowe for a DUI. He obviously forgot he had the video camera on in his car. This often proves whether the person is DUI or not. It is usually pretty obvious. When the Comm. Attorney saw the video, he dismissed the charge. You can bet the farm he wouldnt have if he had had a case.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
1:38 pm
I heard that the officer was originally from PA. Phillies fan for sure.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
1:42 pm
Bunker won’t do you any good. They will extract you.
Dibble
May 27th, 2011
1:43 pm
Lopez for anything is a good deal….the cluelessness has to stop
Ronald Millsaps
May 27th, 2011
1:53 pm
As for Lowe’s case, “blog”, and by the way, using lightly the term “retarded” is prejudiced and a form of hatred speech, as opposed to the alleged hatred speech the gay community always whines about (in between its spewing prejudice toward Christians, heterosexuals, blacks, women, etc., I might add), we went from hearing that he was driving under the influence to hearing well after the fact that there’s a lack of evidence. I roll my eyes at such an immense contrast, so whoever was wrong amidst the two needs to be fired with no questions asked. I roll my eyes also at Phil’s desperate attempt to attack credibility when he has established none of his own.
As for baseball, I’d move Uggla to “three” and have Chipper and McCann behind him. If he doesn’t progress, I’d move Prado, the most-professional individual in the organization, back to second and platoon Uggla and Hinske in left. The season is nearly a third gone, so the “slow start” bid doesn’t work too well here.
Aside from 1991, this team largely has not been that good offensively, and even when it has been good offensively on paper, it oftentimes (2003) hasn’t been clutch. I was nearly astonished to read that someone actually thought Uggla went to a better offense when he went to Atlanta. The Marlins’ offense last year and in recent years has been not just better than Atlanta’s but a lot better. It’s also nice to follow a team that plays the game as it should be played, not a team that gets all the undeserved hoopla like those two bastions of self-absorption from the Northeast (typical of the area).
phil
May 27th, 2011
1:53 pm
Jack in Macon
May 27th, 2011
10:20 am
We a veteran major league pitcher that’s having a good year in triple A for this guy? Couldn’t we have gotten a major league quality utility player with a good bat that can play third base?
Dave, please explain what the Braves were thinking? You can give more feedback to questions/comments on this blog. That’s the purpose of blogging which you don’t seem to realize. Interaction!!
Jack, do you have ANY sense? The pitcher FW booted STUNK….what was he supposed to get for that bum other than a cheeseburger and fries?
And has it crossed the dense dura matter surrounding your brain that DOB probably has more things to do than exchange pleasantries with this crowd on here?
Reckingball is dead on, of course, that one can never have enough good pitching. I guess if you have all pitching and no hitting, that could be an exception. In other words, may need to trade some pitching for someone that can hit a baseball somewhere other than over the dugout. We appear to have really good pitching and, at best, average hitting after one third of the season. Surely/maybe it will pick up. Surely/maybe someone will be shipped out for another decent bat or 2….as long as it isn’t JJ or Hanson, I can live with it….
phil
May 27th, 2011
1:57 pm
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
11:42 am
“Wow alex, why all of the hate and venom?
Good pitching beats good hitting most of the time.”
Nice…lol.
Yep, good pitching will frequently vanquish the ole Bravos….of course, not so good pitching will whip not so good hitting as well as we’ve seen a lot this year…
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:02 pm
Brava
May 27th, 2011
1:02 pm
“I think it’s good too, reckingball, but how often is it going to happen? Considering his defensive liability, is he worth the salary he’s being paid to average a clutch hit once a month? Maybe you think so, I don’t.”
I hate to say it but the good probably outweighs the bad with Conman….the guy DOES step up with the clutch hit now and then, which is about all you can ask for from the bench. As long as he isn’t pressed into duty in the field, ever, I’m ok with having him around…
Ronald Millsaps
May 27th, 2011
2:04 pm
“billybon”– find a better way to express yourself.
“zing”– Yeah, Schuerholz ran out half the farm for the extremely-arrogant, anything-but-clutch Teixeira. He also ran out David Justice and Marquis Grissom and later Adam Wainwright. He also tries to take credit for the ‘91 team, but he’s way out of line in doing so. Oh, yeah; he also ran Tom Glaivne out and not only that but did so as disrespectfully as possible as he was locked in on attaining Mike Hampton. Later, the Mets clearly surpassed the Braves in the division, and Atlanta could’ve used a third, bona-fide starter immensely, as Davies, Ramirez, Thomson, Sosa, Cormier, Carlyle, Reyes, and several others didn’t show consistency. Having Glavine would’ve elevated our rotation and simultaneously dropped New York’s. The strategy simply was not good. Through this same time period, Hampton earned an immense salary while rehabilitating and was brandished a villain by the typical, ill-informed Braves fan. Hampton was not to blame in any way; that move was all on Schuerholz and a reminder that you need to maintain what you already have before you look to bolster.
My last post clarifies any confusion regarding my commentary on the Lowe situation.
As for Francoeur, he’s batting .247 in May, huh? What’s your point? Atlanta ran him out of town over his openly being frustrated about going to the minors (after openly being misled earlier that week). Do you still think he should’ve been run out? If he doesn’t meet the hype, maybe those who produce the hype don’t know what they’re talking about, as most Atlanta fans don’t. (One fan on Opening Day last year said Heyward was going to be the best ever…. I’m not rooting against the idea, but homering in your first game isn’t nearly as impressive as we’re told it is.) Atlanta ran Francoeur out over his comments and did so with him only 25, and we got half a season of Ryan Church as a result. Undoubtedly, the Keith Olbermanns and Barbara Walterses of the world can try to spin this story as well, but the fact remains that it was extremely unwise.
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:06 pm
“As for you Ronald Millsaps. You are wrong about Frenchy. Sorry. He gets hot occasionally, but when pitchers really need to get him out it’s as easy as Andruw Jones and Dale Murphy later in his career. Fastballs up, breaking pitches outside … go sit down. He will never achieve the greatness many fans in Atlanta still thinks he will. How many years did you expect us to wait around on him. For what he was slotted to make, he was not worth it. This year is another showcase. Started off hot, pitchers realized this and changed things up a little and now he can’t buy a hit. His May average is .247 and spiralling further downward.” STEVE
Ronald is nearly as thick as “Frenchy”. Francouer’s problem, among many, is he’s just basically dumb. He can’t make adjustments or out think any pitcher he faces seemingly….just stands there with that goofy look on his face and down he goes….he was indeed a good riddance…as Uggly apparently will be before much longer…
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:09 pm
braveshoo
May 27th, 2011
1:33 pm
“Derick Lowe refused the breathilizer because he knew he wasnt drunk and the officer had no probable cause to arrest him for DUI. He had already passed field sobriety tests, which you cant do if you have a BAC over .04, which is half of what you have to be to be DUI. The officer probably just wanted to make a name for himself by arresting D.Lowe for a DUI. He obviously forgot he had the video camera on in his car. This often proves whether the person is DUI or not. It is usually pretty obvious. When the Comm. Attorney saw the video, he dismissed the charge. You can bet the farm he wouldnt have if he had had a case.”
Exactly….for once, the arrested baseball suspect apparently wasn’t guilty…..no toxicology, nothing on video, no case. I apologize for my harsh assaults on the guy…now if he could just get through 5 innings w/o throwing 159 pitches…
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:11 pm
I’m forced to revise my thinking on the eye rolling Ronald Millsaps, who has apparently regained his sight….
Your posts are damn good actually…wouldn’t hurt, though, to ease off of just a bit of the arrogance. Most of us are fairly stupid but not all….
Beef Pocoroba
May 27th, 2011
2:11 pm
Wren has put together the pitching staff with the best ERA in the NL.
our lineup includes
2B – 2010 All-star (obtained for a career back-up and at best the 3rd best LHreliefP in the system)
C – 2010 All-star
RF – 2010 All-Star
LF – 2010 All-star
CF – 2008 All-star
3B – future HoFer
And Wren has stocked the minors with what is pretty well unanimously agreed to be the best collection of pitching prospects.
if these guys have underperformed, you can’t pin it on wren.
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:13 pm
I did call you dumb so i deserve that….note i have changed my tune in light of later developments today which i’ve only just now been able to read….you’re clearly not dumb.
The Braves hitting coach(es)? Probably dumb….
Ronald Millsaps
May 27th, 2011
2:13 pm
Phil, dumb? Ha. Look who’s talking. From your commentary, your last name’s probably “Donahue.”
Isn’t it ironic that a lot of players do considerably worse offensively in Atlanta than they do elsewhere? Perhaps we don’t have the right personnel here.
Beef Pocoroba
May 27th, 2011
2:14 pm
oh, and wren put together this club – which made it the playoffs last year despite major injuries in case you ninnies have forgotten – with a very middle of the road payroll. c’mon folks.
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:19 pm
Beef – IF they have underperformed? Can I presume that’s a typo? McOut has been nothing but a bust….Hurtward can’t hit and never plays anymore….he can’t field his position well either…and i love the future HOF’er but that tag is normally affixed to players that are clearly slowing down….which Chipper is, more at the plate than in the field, oddly enough….
Go_BRAVOS
May 27th, 2011
2:19 pm
How come we can comment on the injustice that is D.Lowe getting off for DUI.
I doubt a regular citizen would have been so lucky and still no punishment from the organization
for a guy endangering the lives of others while driving drunk. gotta love U.S. justice system
Beef Pocoroba
May 27th, 2011
2:20 pm
>>As for Francoeur, he’s batting .247 in May, huh? What’s your point? Atlanta ran him out of town over his openly being frustrated about going to the minors (after openly being misled earlier that week). Do you still think he should’ve been run out?
well, we weren’t going to renew his contract for the next year, and he was playing atrocious. so getting him out of town, where bobby couldn’t stick him in the line-up every day – heck yes that was a good move.
Ronald Millsaps
May 27th, 2011
2:20 pm
Phil, not trying to be arrogant. I’m honestly not sure that a stupid person exists, but stupid actions do.
Beef Pocoroba
May 27th, 2011
2:25 pm
>>(Heyward) can’t field his position well either
i guess you don’t watch this team, or look at fielding metrics. by all accounts he was actually very good last year, and by several different metrics saved us about 10 runs above average. that’s not “andruw jones in his prime” level, but then, Heyward’s not a CF, and the guy was 20 for most of last year.
alex
May 27th, 2011
2:32 pm
beef, you are sooo right
Freeman,man can he stretch
uggla, he’s got to come aroun
gonza, goes into the hole, hitting wll what do you want 280
chipper, my goodness he’s a hall of famer, and a legend and he goes to hooters!!
Prado, YES
mclouth, he was an all star 3 years ago, what do you want
heyward,have you read his press clippings, should have been rookie of the year, damn posey he can (could) hit and throw
Mcann nobody gets on base against our pitchers so why should he be able to throw (even to 3rd base)
Sounds like a team to challenge for the post season, the phillies and red sox and yankees and texas are in for a BIG surprise
AS for lowe,as I said find a ex-cop, now dui lawyer and….
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:33 pm
bull, bull and more bull…Hurtward drops balls, can’t break back on em well, throws the ball offline more times than not….don’t give me “fielding metrics” when i can see with my own two eyes that he’s pretty decent but far from great….
Go Bravos – hello! Earth to Go B! No breath test, a good result on his field test….THERE ISN’T ANY EVIDENCE WITH WHICH TO PROSECUTE HIM. I would agree with you in most cases on the fix being in, but if the guy passed the field test, this is the right result.
Ronald Millsaps
May 27th, 2011
2:34 pm
I still wouldn’t have traded Francoeur. The upside was there; the approach was not, and I blame Bobby’s Joel Osteen-like approach as much as I blame Francoeur’s overt arrogance.
Honestly, there might not be a worse team in MLB in terms of making offensive adjustments. The first step in the scientific method is identifying exactly the problem. I don’t know that anyone in the organization ever actually does that, and a low average isn’t the problem but instead the result of the problem. The fact that Atlanta tried to turn Francoeur into Edgar Renteria– a completely-opposite player– outweighs my frustration with the Parkview kid and serves as an indictment against the organization and influences me to believe that the problem is mainly with the staff. Also, its standing pat while Francoeur made it a goal to score 100 runs rather than drive in 100 runs is also pretty blamed bad. The man was trying to acquire an identity that played to the exact opposite of his God-given abilities, and it showed in his indecisiveness at the plate. In the last year or so that he played here, I don’t recall seeing him looking relaxed once.
The problem could’ve been fixed. I wouldn’t have traded him; I would’ve sought new personnel, and besides, he wasn’t going to demand huge revenue on the open market.
The only guy Atlanta ran off wisely was Yunel Escobar, as the guy simply refused to be anything but a rebel. We got a better, more-professional player, too.
phil
May 27th, 2011
2:40 pm
Agreed, Ronald, except that I was fed up with “Frenchy”. The arrogance is hard to overcome because that condition doesn’t listen….Yunel had to go.
Beef Pocoroba
May 27th, 2011
2:46 pm
phil – well i guess all i can say at this point is “have fun hating your own team and coming up with demeaning nicknames for them.”
Ronald Millsaps
May 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
I would’ve sent him back to the minors if need be and not been apologetic about it. I also wouldn’t have misled him prior to doing so. I would’ve spent the rest of the year working with him and would’ve made wise adjustments. Charlie Manuel would’ve taken a different approach; believe me. If Francoeur had left at the end of 2009, that move would’ve been his call, but I would’ve worked and made adjustments. Acquiring Ryan Church for half a year was all but useless.
We’re seeing the exact-same problem with Uggla. Again, where are the adjustments?
Chipper’s setting up a proverbial “C” flag in the “three” hole bothers me a great deal. Fredi’s letting him do it sends the message that Chipper’s the real manager on the team, which, actually, wouldn’t be a bad thing, but let’s at least make adjustments. I just don’t get how or why this team will keep trying the same blamed thing over and over when it doesn’t work. This team just goes through an entire season showing apathy about finding the solution.
Hmmm, Scottie Pippen thinks LeBron James MIGHT be the best player of all time, huh? LeBron plays in a much-easier era than Jordan played in, and truthfully, LeBron’s not as good as Jordan or Pippen. LeBron might have Jordan in rebounding but doesn’t have him anywhere else.
phil
May 27th, 2011
3:33 pm
Amen on Jordan…Lebron is great but he ain’t Jordan….not even worthy of discussion really….
I think chipper basically is the manager…heck, i advocated for hiring him as player-manager last year…
There are no adjustments with Uggly…a few would be nice.
Beef – spare me the “hater” label that you optimists love to use…i love em same as you but i do like my juvenile nicknames…Beef Pocoroba? You hate my earliest memory catcher, don’t you?
Damon Dingle Barryhill
May 27th, 2011
4:07 pm
Good move.. trade in the old fart who will never make the roster for a young unpolished Lefty. Why are people bitchin about this one?
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
4:56 pm
Man, that guy can get a rant going.
reckingball
May 27th, 2011
5:01 pm
phill @333………..They are called juvenile derisions.
KK
May 27th, 2011
5:01 pm
We need KK back
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